


The Time it Took to Finish the Design

by killjoylincoln



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aurors, Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Ministry of Magic, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Redemption, Roommates, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-10 12:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11691933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killjoylincoln/pseuds/killjoylincoln
Summary: Harry didn't know which part he hated most. There was the ambient noise machine and the chore wheel, both of which he disliked on principal. The constant yelling and swearing from their room must have annoyed their neighbours at some point but no one ever complained- probably because they were too scared. Not of Harry, the saviour of the wizarding world, but maybe of his roommate. And of course there was that last bit where every day Harry couldn't understand why he seemed to hate him a little bit less .Or, Harry and Draco are roommates at Auror training and no one could quite predict where they would end up after those ten months.





	1. Day 1

It didn’t take Harry long to set up his things. He didn’t have much and with the size of the room there wasn’t much space for anything.

He had his mauve comforter, a gift from the Granger’s, and the knitted quilt from Mrs. Weasley that smelled like the burrow, smelled like home. His stack of muggle horror books were piled neatly on the small desk he didn’t think he would ever use. On the wall by his bed he put up his small Gryffindor flag and the only two photos he couldn’t bear to leave behind at Grimmauld Place. One was of his parents who smiled and waved and Harry couldn’t look at it for too long without getting misty-eyed. The other was stagnant, taken in front of the burrow. Mr. Weasley had insisted on using a muggle camera and even though Ron didn’t care for the picture it was one of Harry’s favourites.

He set up, watching the sun set outside his window. The bed he hadn’t chosen was bigger than his and it didn’t squeak as much but Harry just wanted the big window and hoped whoever his roommate was wouldn’t mind.

There was noise outside his door and Ron’s unimistakable voice saying, “No, Mr. Potter is not doing autographs at this time but if you wish to make an appointment you can call the department of _I don’t give a fuck_. Thank you.”

Ron slipped into the room and slammed it shut behind him. He pressed his forehead to the wood and made a pitiful whining sound.

“If this is hour one I can’t imagine what the rest of the night is going to bring,” Harry said, sitting down on his newly made bed. “If I go to orientation do you think I’ll cause a riot?”

Ron smirked and flopped down on the other bed. His feet dangled off the end and Harry hoped his own bed wasn’t as short.

“If there are a lot of girls I think you have a better chance of started an orgy,” he said. He dodged the shoe Harry threw at him and sighed dramatically.

“My roommate’s a freak,” he said. “He always has these big, white headphones on but I don’t think he’s listening to anything and I swear to Merlin there is something living under his bed.”

Harry hummed. “What do you think it is?”

“If he keeps it in a cage, I don’t care. As long as it’s not a possum because we all know how I feel about possums.”

“Yes, because you never shut up about it,” Harry said, retrieving his shoe. “Should we get dinner before orientation?”

Ron shrugged. “Might as well. Do you know who your roommate is yet? Pity we couldn’t just get each other.”

“They probably want us to mingle. And no, I don’t. Maybe it’s another Potter perk and I might get no one.”

Ron scooped up Harry’s keys and led the way out. “Don’t say that too loudly. People might not get it’s a joke and think you’re actually an arrogant git. That does remind me I need to trademark that. _Potter Perk TM_.”

“As long as they don’t put my face on Chocolate Frog cards I’ll be pleased.”

Ron locked up for him and Harry pocketed the key doing a mental check of everything he needed- _keys, wand, phone_.

“Am I missing anything?”

“Just a sense of haste,” Ron said, pushing him down the hall. “There is dinner somewhere waiting to be eaten by me.”

They found their way easily enough. Their welcome packet had included a map of the auror facility but being twenty year-old children neither had read it.

They followed the crowd down narrow hallways that turned and twisted with no logic. Harry vaguely wished he’d dressed up. Some of the other prospects were in collared shirts or even robes. Some women were in dresses and high heeled shoes. Even Ron looked smart in his nicest jumper. Harry had woken up late that morning because Kreacher had refused to wake him on the basis that he looked peaky. He’d donned the first thing he could find which was a _Weird Sisters_ t-shirt that was so faded it was nearly illegible.

Not to mention the giant rip at the neck.

“Be honest, do I look homeless?” he whispered to Ron, ducking behind his gangly friend in the hope of remaining anonymous for as long as possible.

“Nobody cares what you look like, Harry,” Ron said. “You saved the wizarding world. You could show up tonight in a frilly dress and no one would think anything of it.”

“That’s not exactly reassuring.”

“Isn’t it? Never mind, I don’t care. It’s food time.”

The Dining Hall was large and although it was in the basement the west wall had been magicked to show the setting sun and a river that could have been the Thames except the water was clean and Harry almost fancied a swim.

“Let’s sit at the back,” Ron said, joining the queue for food. “Damn this. I’d hoped it would be like Hogwarts.”

The queue was faster than either of them expected and not even Ron could complain. When they were safely tucked away in the corner of the room Harry finally lifted his head and no longer had that anxious look in his eyes like he was going to bolt.

“Relax,” Ron said. “Everyone’s eating. No one would be _mad_ enough to-”

He was interrupted by a massive boy a little older than them with bulging muscles and a harsh, red face that seemed perpetually angry. Harry held his breath, expecting to be forced to eat his napkin like something out of a muggle high school film, but the boy simply stuck out his hand and relayed his gratitude and awe to the boy who lived. Ron snorted into his mashed potatoes.

Harry shook his hand and thanked him for his kind words then sunk down in his seat so that no one could see the brilliant shade of red he knew his face was.

“Well, that was something,” Ron said gleefully.

“Haha, I’m going to hex your freckled face off.” Harry looked disdainfully at his napkin. “I thought for sure he was going to make me eat it.”

“Your napkin? You seriously thought Rambo would make you eat your napkin? The war really did addle your brain. Eat your vegetables and let’s leave before we’re spotted again.”

 They high tailed it out of there ten minutes later without altercation. Orientation wasn’t for another half hour but wandering aimlessly around the facility wasn’t as appealing as finding a nice seat at the back of the lecture hall and blending into the upholstery.

“How’s Hermione?” Harry asked when they found a spot safely in the back corner of the hall. “Has she found a flat yet?”

“Yes, a few streets over from the Ministry. Do you know if this place is like prison? Do we get furlough? Weekends off? I’ll probably stay with her whenever I can.”

Harry made a high-pitched cooing sound but shut up quickly when Ron hit him.

“Are you going to make that sound every time I talk about my girlfriend?”

“Probably,” Harry said smugly. “You two are just cute, okay? Is it a crime to be supportive?”

“No, but that sound you make is. And what about you, Romeo? Plenty of fit birds around here.”

“I’ll just cash in a Potter perk TM and take my pick of the lot, yeah? Also did you ever read _Romeo and Juliet_? You do know it ends in both their deaths.”

“Are we saying Potter perk TM out loud, then? And no, I did not know that. How drastic. There is something to be said about star-crossed lovers though. Together against all odds. Quite beautiful, innit?”

Harry laughed incredulously. “What the hell are you on about?”

Ron went scarlet. “I’ve been watching a lot of films, alright? Hermione has cable. Don’t bully me.”

Harry snorted but let it drop. He privately agreed with Ron on all points. Ginny and him weren’t exactly star-crossed but Harry had once hoped she would be the great love of his life.

Alas.

 

The room began to fill up. Harry tucked his knees into his chest and tried to curl in on himself. He didn’t like big crowds. He remembered the ministry functions he’d been coerced into attending. He remembered smiling and waving and saying words at a marble podium on crumpled paper in Hermione’s handwriting. He remembered throwing up champagne in every bathroom because he would always drink too fast and never remember to eat.

“You know, when you do that you look toddler having a tantrum,” Ron said.  

“I am,” Harry said gruffly. “I don’t want to be here.”

“Tough. You’re an adult. Sit up straight, listen to the man in the boring robes, and try not to bring any attention to yourself. Don’t make me hold your hand.”

Harry did as he was told. He listened to the boring man in the boring robes as he spoke to a room full of auror trainees about how their next ten months would go. Training and class work would happen before Christmas. They would have weekends off but no holidays until December 20th where they wouldn’t have to report back until January 3rd. After the hols would be intensive training with a predetermined partner _so don’t try to pick your favourite because it will make no difference_. Following mock cases would come real cases which would then lead to bigger cases and eventually graduation where the 50 wide-eyed kids in the room would become full-fledged aurors.

“So what do you reckon?” Ron said as they followed the tide of people out into the main hall. “Think we can do it?”

“Does a one-tentacled Grindylow swim in circles?”

Ron laughed. A few people looked over and Harry ducked in between Ron’s shoulder blades.

“Is this how it’s going to be until June? Every time we go out in public you’re going to hide?”

“No, of course not,” Harry said gruffly. “I’ll wear my invisibility cloak every second of every day until I’ve convinced even you that I never existed.”

Ron scoffed. “I think you’ve chosen the wrong profession, mate.”

“What should I have chosen then?”

They stopped in front of a dorm room that had _Weasley_ and _Maracle_ stuck to the door. Ron thought for a moment then said, “Whatever Luna’s doing. Whatever it is it must be barmy which you apparently are now too. See you in the morning.”

Harry looked the names on the door long after Ron had closed it, hoping desperately that if he stared long enough his name would magically appear and him and Ron could be roommates like the good old days.

But the good old days were behind them and all Harry wanted to do now was move on.

He walked quickly through the hall and up the short flight of stairs to his own room. His name was displayed but the space beside was still empty. Inside his room he wondered briefly why they were so tardy with assigning him a roommate. He clung naively to his Potter perk TM dream where he could spend ten magnificent months with no bloke snoring six feet away from him.

He got ready for bed with the lights off but the curtains open so he could watch the cars and the muggles alive in the street below. No sound travelled up and maybe someone had cast a silencing charm on the building which, if true, Harry was grateful for. He got into bed, relishing the peace and quiet, and was asleep within an instant-

only to be woken up abruptly and violently at half one in the morning when a large down pillow hit him square in the face.

“Wozzit,” he said blearily, sitting up too fast and getting a head rush. Someone scoffed cruelly.

“Always the same, aren’t you, Potter?” a disturbingly familiar voice sneered. “And you’ve even picked the worst bed. How very stupid of you.”

Harry rubbed his eyes, his brain not quite catching up to him. There was noise from the other side of the room- cupboards opening, books being laid on a desk. Harry tried to see who had barged into his room but he wasn’t wearing his glasses and with the light from the moon he could only tell that his intruder was very tall and very blonde and very much standing rigid in the center of the room with his arms folded across his chest.

Harry groped for his glasses, knocking both them and his wand off the bedside table. The person scoffed again.

“We’re you going to hex me, Potter? Do you think I’m here to steal from you? Nothing of yours worth nicking anyway. With all that gold of yours you’d think you could buy yourself something halfway decent…”

Harry was furious now. He jumped out of bed, shoved his glasses onto his face, and pointed his wand at the trespasser. A threat was on the tip of his tongue but he swallowed it down when he realized, with a sense of horror and imminent disaster, that his wand was pointed directly at Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy was smirking, his own wand pressed into Harry’s ribcage.

“Good morning, Potter,” he said venomously. “Looks like we’re roommates.”


	2. Oh My God They Were Roommates

“Eat your porridge,” Ron said.

Harry stared down at the murky sludge that Ron had assembled into a gooey smiley face.

“Harry, I swear to Merlin, eat it or wear it.”

Harry poked at it, eyelids drooping. He’d gotten less than three hours of sleep because Malfoy had taken nearly two hours to fold and hang his clothes, set up his ambient noise machine, organize his desk with near military precision, and then spend another hour doing what he called his “midnight workout” but what Harry deduced was just vigorous yoga. Then Malfoy had had to shower and put eight different creams on his face and then choose which noise he wanted to sleep to which was a river of some sort but really it just made Harry have to pee.

All in all when his alarm woke him at seven o’clock he was about ready to quit the whole thing.

“Seriously,” Ron said. “I’m getting concerned now. What’s with you? You look like you just gargled with tequila-”

“I met my roommate,” Harry interrupted. “Bursted in, middle of the night. No warning.”

“Oh? What’s he like? Any possums?”

Harry stabbed at his food. “It’s Malfoy.”

Ron blinked. “Excuse me? It sounded like you said Malfoy.”

“I did. My roommate is Malfoy.”

“As in Draco Malfoy?”

“The very same.”

Ron didn’t seem like this was information he could understand. His left eye twitched and there was something sinister about how forcefully he was holding his knife.

“Malfoy,” he said. “Malfoy.”

Harry pushed his tray of food away. “If you say it one more time he’ll jump through that wall and kill me instantly.”

Ron looked over his shoulder like Malfoy really was about to jump out screaming bloody murder. He turned back. He was white as a sheet.

“You know, I bet if he did that it would be less painful than sleeping in the same room with the guy. Fucking Malfoy! Why would they even let him into the program?”

“You know he’s been cleared, Ron,” Harry mumbled, suddenly too tired for this conversation.

Ron stood up abruptly. “Not that I don’t trust you, mate, but I need to see this to believe it.”

He strode toward the exit of the dining hall. Harry made a strangled choking sound and jumped up, running after him. He tried to stop him but Ron was adamant all the way up to Harry’s room.

“Well, fuck me,” Ron muttered, staring at the door. It now read _Potter, Malfoy_.

“Don’t-” Harry tried but it was too late. Ron barged into the room like an angry Hippogriff, talons out and ready for a fight.

“Ah, Weasley, wondered when I’d see you. Not that you’re hard to miss, you giant red-haired aberration.”

Malfoy was lounging on his bed. A mug of something steaming was in his right hand. _The Secrets of Enchanted Mines and Tombs Volume 2_ was in his left.

“ _You_ ,” Ron fumed.

“Me,” Malfoy said.

“Why would they let a dirty fucking rat of a Death Eater into the Auror program?” Ron spat. Behind him Harry cringed. That was a bit harsh.

“Exonerated Death Eater, thank you very much,” Malfoy said coldly. “We can’t all be punished for the sins of our fathers.”

He stood. He wasn’t as tall as Ron but he held himself differently than Ron did. He glared, grey eyes boring into Ron with pure hate.

“I believe this is my room, Weasley,” he snarled. “And I don’t want you here.”

Ron made a rude gesture with his hand and stormed out. Harry stayed long enough to say, “Until one of us can get a new room, you stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours.”

And Malfoy didn’t have a comeback for that.

 

Harry checked his phone at quarter to eight. There was a message from Ron in all capitals (he still didn’t know how to use it properly) asking him where he was. There was another more helpful one from Hermione telling him the name and address of the bar they were at.

Harry didn’t answer either message. He stared resolutely at the door to the dorm manager’s office with every combination of _if my roommate and I don’t get separated, one or both of us will die_ running through his head.

Two trainees walked around the corner. Harry bowed his head and pretended to be very interested in his hands so they wouldn’t pay him any attention. He only caught the very end of their conversation.

“-swear it. Simon saw him skulking on the top floor. Why would they allow him in? I pity the poor sod who has to room with a _Malfoy_ …”

They disappeared. Harry sat frozen for a long while. After what felt like a lifetime he gave the door he’d now memorized one last look and left before he could think about what he was doing.

 

Ron caught sight of him first. He raised his pint, nearly spilling it, and shouted over the noise of the bar.

“Oi! How in the hell did you find us?! I didn’t tell you where we were!”

“Hermione texted me,” Harry said, sitting down between Neville and Luna. “At least one of you isn’t hopeless.”

Ron stared adoringly at his Nokia 3210. “These are the greatest things of all time. Nothing will ever beat these.”

Harry turned to the others. “Alright, Neville? Luna? How have you been?”

“Very well, thank you,” Luna said, kissing Harry on both cheeks. “Ron was just telling us about his abysmal new roommate.”

 Neville smirked. “Two new roommates. He was about to tell us about the monster under the bed.”

“Ha-ha, Neville,” Ron said, waving his pint again. “That’s old news. Harry’s roommate really takes the cake though.”

“Oh?” said Hermione, accepting her gin and tonic form the waitress. Harry ordered the same as whatever Ron was having. “I heard you got a dud as well.”

“That’s an understatement.” Harry buried his face in his hands. “I’ve got Malfoy. My fucking roommate for ten fucking months is Draco fucking Malfoy.”

Neville and Luna had the appropriate reaction. Hermione mumbled something that sounded like _I don’t think that’s his middle name_ but didn’t seem as horrified as Harry had expected.

“I think it’s good he got roomed with you,” she said to Harry’s scandalized face. “You two will butt heads over your old-school feud. With anyone else they might treat him terribly because of what his family did during the war.”

“And you don’t think he’d deserve that?!” Ron said. “Honestly, what side are you on? Sorry,” he added hastily, seeing the look Hermione sent him.

Harry’s drink arrived. He downed half of it in one go. “Anyone want to do shots?”

“Yes,” Ron said immediately.

“ _No_ ,” said Hermione. “Training starts tomorrow and I will not allow you two to be hungover.”

Ron pouted. Harry knew she was right and didn’t press any further.

He spent the evening relaxing like the outside world didn’t exist. He caught up with Luna, whom he hadn’t seen since she had started her new job, and Neville whom he had seen recently but not since he’d lost a bet to Ron and had to shave his beard into mutton chop sideburns. All in all, the night was pleasant, comforting.

Like the old days.

Like things hadn’t changed and they weren’t grownups yet.

They left the bar at half ten. Ron wanted to walk Hermione home and Neville’s flat was in the same direction so they left together. Luna walked partway home with Harry. She stared at the sky the whole way and Harry had to hold her hand so that she wouldn’t walk into things.

When they were set to part Luna looked down and said, “You should ring Ginny, you know. It’s been four months. You can still be friends.”

“Yeah, I know.” Harry kicked at the gravel beneath his feet. “I just feel awkward.”

“I’ve been seeing her a lot lately. She misses just talking to you. You’ll call her, yeah?”

“Okay,” Harry lied. It was too soon.

Luna lifted a hand and crossed the road. Harry walked to his new home with his head down, deep in thought. He forgot all about Malfoy until he accidentally opened the door into his face.

“Oi! Watch where you’re going!” Malfoy shouted, hand clapped to his forehead. “And shut the damn door!”

Harry got out of the way as Malfoy locked them in.

“It was your fault anyway for standing in front of it!” Harry yelled back, turning around. “And what the flipping fuck are you wearing?”

Harry could ignore the boxer briefs- they were boys who were about to go to bed after all. What he couldn’t forgive was the heavy metal long-sleeved t-shirt he was sporting.

“What?” Malfoy said haughtily, head held high. The blush creeping up his neck betrayed him. “It was the first shirt I could find.”

“Nice try,” Harry said scathingly. “I saw the tour dates on the back. Do you go to muggle hardcore shows? What would your father think?”

“He would think nothing!” Malfoy snapped. “Because he’s in prison and I’m here so why don’t you mind your own business and let me sleep!”

He stomped over to his bed and slammed off the light, shaking his bedside table. He slipped under the covers of his navy bedspread and lay perfectly still, facing the wall.

Harry crossed his arms in the middle of the dark room.

“You’re an idiot,” he said flatly.

“And you have glasses and a stupid face, I win,” came Malfoy’s muffled response.

If Harry didn’t hate him so much he might have laughed.

 

Harry woke up at eight twenty the next morning to an empty room and the beautiful morning sun streaming in through his window. He could have stayed in there all day if he hadn’t remembered it was Monday and that he’d been due in training twenty minutes ago.

After a loud tirade of swearing (mostly directed at his roommate), Harry threw on the first things he could get his hands on and sprinted to Building D, thankful that he’d looked at his schedule the night before. He arrived half an hour late and tried to slip into his seat at the back unnoticed.

He was unsuccessful.

“Nice of you to join us, Mr. Potter,” the Auror at the front said. “One more late and you’re on probation. Do not think that you will get special treatment here.”

Harry squeaked out an apology and wished for instant death. Scratch that. He wished Voldemort had succeeded just so that he could have avoided this horrible, painful, awful moment.

A moment that was made worse by a pale face smirking at him from the first row.

Harry considered flipping him off but thought that was too childish. He settled on filling his bed in the middle of the night with Pygmy Puffs to such a degree that he would get smothered to death by them. Harry grinned sadistically and had a very happy hour imagining the different ways he could cause Draco Malfoy bodily harm.

At the end of the lesson Harry looked around for Ron but couldn’t see him anywhere, wondering if he’d missed him already. He caught up instead with Malfoy as the group shuffled to Building G for physical training orientation.

“Thanks for waking me up this morning,” Harry said sarcastically. “Glad you’ve put a schoolboy feud over learning how to protect the wizard community.”

Malfoy scoffed. “Seriously? That’s the best you can do? It’s not my fault you threw your shirt on top of your alarm clock and couldn’t hear it go off. I’m not your mother. Oh, that’s right, she’s dead, isn’t she?”

Harry lunged. If Ron hadn’t caught him Harry’s auror training could have been a very short stint.

“Hold up there, Rocky,” Ron said, hands tight on Harry’s upper arms. “He’s not worth it.”

Malfoy walked away, looking over his shoulder with a grin that made Harry’s blood boil. He waved tauntingly and Harry wanted nothing more than to scalp him.

“I’m going to scalp him,” he voiced.

“Oh, dear,” Ron said. “You just went from Rocky to Hannibal. Let’s get you some coffee, yeah?”

With the ten minute break Ron took Harry to the nearest place that had caffeine and bought him a very large espresso and a sugary scone. He force fed the pastry into Harry’s protesting face but had the good sense not to try that with the hot coffee. When Harry was considerably calmer Ron broke the news to him.

“There's going to be two groups, divided by floor,” he said sadly. “We won’t have any classes together and I think that also means we couldn’t be partners for any of the field exercises.”

Harry’s heart fell. “Fuck,” he groaned. “ _Fuck_. This whole thing can’t get any worse. And it’s only the second day.”

“Cheer up, kid. You’re looking at this all wrong. You’re looking at this like us being separated and you rooming with Malfoy is the worst thing in the world but it could be worse.”

Harry couldn’t imagine how the situation could possibly be bleaker but he decided to humour Ron. “And how exactly could it be worse?”

“ _I_ could have gotten roomed with Malfoy. Pass the sugar.”

 

On their afternoon tour Harry saw the training gym and the Med Firm where either him or Malfoy would inevitably end up. They took a field trip to the main Ministry building to see the auror offices but that was shut down quickly when word got out that The Boy Who Lived was on the premise.

The walk back to the dorms was humid and tiring. Their instructor, a gruff man named Winslow, had wanted them to walk rather than apparate so they could get their bearings on London. They arrived back hot and sweaty, all except for Malfoy who looked poised and cool as if he’d just stepped out of a large freezer. Harry cursed his low body temperature. The others cursed him for a lot worse.

_Three in my family died in the war and they let him in just like that?_

_My dad died on the job after twenty six years as an auror. He’d roll over in his grave if he could see who was replacing him._

_I’d rather go alone than have a Malfoy as my partner._

The worst part of their nasty remarks was when they looked over at Harry with wide-eyed expectancy like he should agree with them, like he _had_ to agree with them. Harry hated Malfoy, that much was certain. He hated him out of jealousy and because of a fight that should have begun and ended when they were eleven. He didn’t like Malfoy in the slightest but no one deserved to hear things like that.

Harry abandoned the group as soon as they were dismissed. He made his way to Ron’s room where they drank lukewarm Butterbeer and tried to coax out whatever was living under Ron’s elusive roommate’s bed. They were unsuccessful and Harry left, embarrassed, when said roommate returned to find him throwing Cheetos under his bed.

Harry walked back to his own room, momentarily forgetting who he was going to find behind the door. Malfoy was sitting up in bed with a book, the same one as before, and a Red Vine sticking out of his mouth. He made no indication that he’d noticed his roommate's entrance even when Harry got ready for bed very loudly.

He went to shower in the facilities at the end of the hall, slamming their door behind him for good measure. He showered and brushed his teeth, feeling several pairs of eyes following his every move. He’d taken off his glasses and was using that as his excuse for ignoring everyone.

Back in the room he found Malfoy exactly the same way he’d left him which Harry found distinctly annoying. Not feeling tired or much like reading, he pulled out his CD player and stuck in _Blink-182_ ’s newest album. He barely made it through one song before he pulled the headphones down around his neck and said, “Why are you here?”

Malfoy flipped a page and said, dryly, “Because this is the room that was assigned to me.”

“You know what I meant.”

Harry looked over. Malfoy was tightly clenching his jaw and staring at the same point in his book. Harry didn’t expect a serious answer or one at all and when Malfoy did speak it was probably the most words Harry had ever heard him say at once.

“What did you expect for me? To stay in the manor and hide in shame? Like we both know I want to when I hear them whispering? I can’t walk into Diagon Alley without people staring or saying lies about me or my father. I took a flat in Muggle London because I couldn’t stand to stay in Wiltshire anymore. I wanted to live in a place where my last name meant nothing and no one would stare when I wore a short-sleeve shirt. My mother abandoned me and ran away to France where I have not seen her in eighteen months. Coming to the realization that I was, for all intents and purposes, a rich twenty-one-year-old orphan, I took a second to ask what I really wanted to do and this is what I came up with.

“So despite what you think, Potter, I do care about the wizarding world. I want to keep people safe and give the fuckheads who ruined my life what they deserve. I know it must be _so hard_ to see me as someone who wants what you want. I know you don’t think I deserve to be here but no matter what you or any of them say I’m not leaving.”

“I don’t think that,” Harry said quickly, looking anywhere but Malfoy. “It’s admirable that you are going to go through this training while being surrounded by people who hate you. It’s like if I went to a Death Eater’s lair and asked them to teach me how to murder. I don’t think I could do what you’re doing. It’s- yeah, it’s admirable.”

Malfoy flipped another page and Harry knew he wouldn’t get any more out of him tonight. He was slotting the headphones back over his ears when Malfoy said, “Do you really think Death Eater’s have _lairs_? Merlin. Yaxley lived in a million Galleon condo beside one of the _Spice Girls_.”  

Harry lay down and pressed play on his music. He grinned at the ceiling.

“The fact that you know who the _Spice Girls_ are is something I will never let you forget.”


End file.
